Deep crimping tool



Dec. 27, 1960 D. DIBNER 2,966,192 DEEP CRIMPING T O0L w Filed 001;. 22. 1954 INVENTOR avzd a'bnefi ATTORNEY United States Patent DEEP CRIMPING TOOL David Dibner, Wilton, Conn., assignor to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 22, 1954, Ser. No. 464,059

2 Claims. (Cl. 153-1) My invention relates to a tool for increasing the depth of crimp in a tool having a limited crimping stroke.

As an example, where a large number of strands are used to provide an extra flexibility in a cable, this necessarily produces a correspondingly large number of interstices between the strands. This in turn requires a relatively deep penetration of an indenting tool to compact the strands into a solid cross-section of metal in the indented connector.

The use of an extra high indenter to accomplish the deep crimp in one stroke is not possible in existing tools because such an indenter would block the entry of the connector into the crimping dies.

Accordingly, a primary object of my invention is to provide an indenter which may be increased in height to produce an increased depth of indentation when necessary without blocking entry of the connector to be crimped, into the tool.

These and other objects are accomplished and my new results obtained as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the lower portion of an indenting tool showing my indenter in cross-section in normal indenting position with respect to a large size connector.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts in cross-section and my indenter in extended position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the indenter in exploded position.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the indenter base.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the indenter head.

Fig. 1 illustrates a form of hydraulic press having a nest die 12 for receiving a connector body 14 for indentation to the cable 16. Such press is shown in greater detail in the Matthysse Patent No. 2,254,613. The position of the indenter 18 is determined by the largest size connector possible in the tool. Thus an extra deep crimp with a single stroke is not possible unless the extra long indenter can be retracted further into the tool to permit entry of the connector Usually this is not possible.

In the indenter of my invention, I provide a head portion 20 which is rotatably mounted on the base portion 22 which is locked to the ram 23 of the press by the spring-loaded ball check 24 located in the hole 26 of the base 22.

In the retracted position of the indenter head there is just enough room between the nest die and the indenter in the opening 27 to insert the connector. The ram travels its full stroke during the crimping operation.

To secure an extra deep crimp, the head 20 of the indenter is lifted when in the retracted position, and rotated 90 until it is in the position shown in Fig. 2. This is made possible by providing two legs 28 and 30 on the head 20, as shown in Fig. 5, which normally straddle corresponding legs 32 and 34 of the base 22 in the position shown in Fig. 3. Lifting and rotating the head will cause 2,966,192 Patented Dec. 27, 1960 the legs to rest upon, instead of straddling, each other. Thus the indenter length can be increased by the length of the legs.

On the top of legs 32 and 34 of the base, pins 36 and 38 are formed which fit into the selected set of two of the four corresponding recesses 40 on the top side of the head 20, depending on whether the indenter is in normal or extended position. Thus the position of the indenter head will be firmly maintained on the base in either of the two positions.

When the indenter head is extended, the indenter may be again driven into the connector body for its full length. A hole 42 is drilled into the underside of the indenter base 22 to accommodate one end of the tension spring 44 which holds the head and base together. The end 41 of spring 44 is bent over after entrance through the hole 42 and is contained in the recessed portion 43. The head is countersunk, as at 46 to accommodate the spring. A pin 48 is pushed into hole 50 to hold the encircling end 49 of spring 44 to the head 20. Thus the spring will rotate with the head on the base without loosening the parts or loosening its tension.

The spring 52 is positioned in the hole 26 provided in the base to springload the ball-checks 24. Recess 54 may be formed in the sides of the head for a tool to facilitate removal and insertion of the indenter 18 from the press.

By the use of my extensible indenter, I can increase the eflective working stroke of a hydraulic press. I accomplish the foregoing without exchanging indenters on the ram of the press. Indexing the two parts of the indenter while the connector is in the nest and the dies are in the press is a simple matter that can be accomplished in a few seconds. The extensible indenter can in fact work in any press, regardless of motivating force.

I have thus described my invention but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. A tool for indenting a connector to a conductor inserted therein, comprising: a press having a working space adapted to receive the connector and conductor; and having mounted adjacent thereto in diametrically spaced relationship a stationary nest die fixed to said press, and a movable plunger having a working stroke of fixed length, said plunger being provided with a force-transmitting-end facing said space; a base member having a diameter less than said plunger and removably interlocked to said forcetransmitting-end, and having on a plunger-remote-face a plurality of spaced apart projections; a head member adjacent said base member, having an indenting face adapted to indent the surface of the connector, and on a base-member-proximate-face a plurality of spaced apart projections; a securing spring means for exerting a tensile force between said base member and head member; said head member being rotatable upon said base member, whereby their respective spaced apart projections may be moved from an intermeshed relationship to an abutting relationship, thereby adjusting the distance between said plunger-force-transmitting-end and the indenting-face-end of said head member, whereby when said head member is in said intermeshed position an indentation of given depth can be made, and when said head member is in said abutting position an indentation of greater than said given depth can be made with said given working stroke.

2. A tool for indenting a connector to a conductor inserted thereon, comprising: a press having a working space adapted to receive the connector and conductor; and having mounted adjacent thereto in diametrically'spaced relationship a stationary nest die fixed to said press, and

a movable plunger having a working stroke of fixed length, said plunger being provided with a force-transmitting-end facing said space; a base member, removably interlocked to said,force-transmitting-end,having a shoulder adapted to abut the surface of the connector, and having on a plunger-remote-face a plurality of spaced apart projections; ahead member adjacent said base member, having an'indenting face adapted to indent the surface of the connector, and on a base-member-proximate-face a plurality of spaced apart projections; a securing spring means for exerting a tensile force between said base member and head member; said head member being rotatable upon said base member, whereby their respective spaced apart projections may be moved from an intermeshed relationship to an abutting relationship, thereby adjusting the distance between said plunger-force-transmitting-end and the indenting-face-end of said head member, whereby when said head member is in said intermeshed position an indentation of given depth can be made, and when said head member is in said abutting position an indentation of greater than said given depth can be made with said given working stroke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,368 Auble et al July 29, 1919 2,105,391 Almdale Jan. 11, 1938 2,254,613 Matthysse Sept. 2, 1941 2,329,385 I Bratz Sept. 14, 1943 2,537,254 Blythe Jan. 9, 1951 2,633,161 Schultz et a1 Mar. 31, 1953 2,713,279 Harris July 19, 1955 

